U.S. Military Could Lose War to Russia or China, Report to Congress Warns

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Published Nov. 14, 2018 6:29AM ET

Reuters / Alaa Al-Marjani

The U.S. military is losing its edge over its rivals and could lose a war against Russia or China, a new study written for Congress reports. The National Defense Strategy Commission, made up of former top Republican and Democratic officials, warns the Trump administration isn’t investing enough money into keeping up with the Chinese or Russian military and says the U.S. could be “overwhelmed” in a conflict. “There is a strong fear of complacency, that people have become so used to the United States achieving what it wants in the world, to include militarily, that it isn’t heeding the warning signs,” said Kathleen Hicks, a Pentagon official during the Obama administration. The report laid out a stark warning. “The U.S. military could suffer unacceptably high casualties and loss of major capital assets in its next conflict. It might struggle to win, or perhaps lose, a war against China or Russia,” it said, adding: “The United States is particularly at risk of being overwhelmed should its military be forced to fight on two or more fronts simultaneously.”